Cosplay Contest
The MNCBA welcomes the return of Cosplay to SpringCon and FallCon in 2025!
Please read below for this event's categories, rules, and guidelines. To keep our events safe and family-friendly, we also ask that your cosplay be in compliance with our dress code and weapons policies. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at least one week before the event you are inquiring about.
MNCBA SpringCon 2025 Cosplay Categories
Youth: Ages 12 and under.
Novice: Beginners and individuals who have never won a Cosplay Contest.
Advanced: Individuals who have won at least one Cosplay Contest in the past, and/or who are a professional craftsperson/costumer.
Group: Multiple contestants that have a related cosplay; i.e. a two-person Team Rocket group, a family cosplaying several of the X-Men, etc.
Participants will only be allowed to compete in one category for this event.
Rules and Guidelines
Cosplay Contest is to be held at 2:00PM in the Panel Room.
To register, sign up at the Nomad Ghostbusters of Minnesota table near the Arkham Asylum and gaming areas. You must be registered by 1:30PM.
When registering, please give us the name that you would like to be introduced as, and character information (i.e. name of character and what fandom it is from, or background/explanation if it is an original character).
Your cosplay/costume(s) must be handmade and of your own (or your group's) creation. We are using an honesty system, so let’s play fair.
Contestants will be judged by a panel.
Acting performances and special music will not be considered for judging.
Contestants will be led up onto the stage one at a time (except for the Group category) for prejudging, and the top contenders will be brought forward to select the winner in each category.
There will be one winner chosen for each category.
Professional guest cosplayers will not be allowed to enter. The MNCBA wishes to make our first "return of the Cosplay Contest" fun for all, and we will make adjustments for future contests.
Prizes
Youth: $50
Novice: $100
Advanced: $100
Group: $100
Meet our Cosplay Contest team!
The MNCBA SpringCon and FallCon Cosplay Contests are made possible by a hard-working team of volunteers passionate about cosplay and hosting inclusive, welcoming events for all. Please allow us to introduce some of them to you!
Nick "Count" Kaufman, MNCBA Cosplay Coordinator
Nick "Count" Kaufman with Betsy Palmer
Nick "Count" Kaufman was one of the founders of Crypticon in 2006, and was the head promoter of the Minneapolis show for the first 15 years. Amongst Nick's many duties, he organized and ran the events, including the costume and cosplay contest where he was also one of the judges.
In the 1990s, Nick was part of the team that helped Chazz DeMoss launch Dead Dog Comics. In the early 2000s they started Cryptic Magazine, where Nick was a columnist and assistant editor.
